MY EXPERIENCE : A Personal Trainer’s Journey with OriGym

Embarking on a new qualification can be exciting, nerve-wracking, and maybe even occasionally frustrating! 

After diving into OriGym’s Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer course, I quickly discovered that there’s more to it than just ticking boxes. 

Here’s what I learned along the way and a few tips that might help if you're considering it yourself!

THE ESSENTIALS 

The combined Gym Instructor & PT course is currently £1499 (at least as of now!) and is offered entirely online, with the exception of two in-person assessments. OriGym does provide hybrid options with weekly in-person sessions, or an intensive 4 weeks in Liverpool if you prefer a more hands-on approach.

THE LEARNING PROCESS

This course is structured into modules, each containing sections that you can complete at your own pace. However, I found the order a bit odd at times, so while you technically can work through them in any order, it’s generally best to follow the recommended sequence.

Assignments are marked within 10 working days, and if you need to resubmit, it’s usually reviewed within 5 working days. Tutor support is available, and I found the chat function great for quick queries. For bigger issues, like feedback on my programme card, a call was much easier.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Get ready for anatomy and fitness science, it was far more technical than I expected! 

You’ll cover:

• Skeleton, muscles, cardiovascular system, nervous system, energy systems

• Fitness principles, nutrition, assessing fitness

• Training techniques (cardio, resistance, special populations, different training systems)

• Health & safety, insurance, setting up a business

• Gym operations and programme writing

I struggled a bit with the more science-heavy aspects! That's just my personal avoidance for anything science, but I felt like (rightly so) it was a lot to take in! 

TIPS FROM MY EXPERIENCE

One important watch-out, that I wasn't aware of, you won’t receive your certificate until your fees are fully paid. While you have a year to pay off the course, you can complete it as fast as you want, for me it was around 3-4 months (part time) so if you’re planning to finish early, you just need to be aware you'll need to pay the balance off early.

💡Laptop Required – You can access the course on your phone, but some assignments require editing PDFs and Excel files, which is nearly impossible on mobile.

💡 Print Certain Materials – Studying solely from a screen was challenging, printing SOME of the materials helped me retain information better.

💡 Talk It Out – Having a friend that I tried training methods out with was invaluable! Saying concepts aloud made them stick.

💡 Case Studies – While you can make them up, using a real person helped me apply concepts better.

💡 Plan Assessments Ahead – You can book two assessment slots at a time. I left this too late and wish I’d scheduled earlier.

💡 PT Course Access – Once you complete 80% of the Gym Instructor course, you can request access to the PT modules. It was a bit confusing to juggle both Gym Instructor and PT information, but it’s worth it if you’re comfortable managing multiple things at once.

💡 Use the PDF module downloads - I started out hand writing pages and pages of notes, then when moving onto PT, I realised that the PDF had all the same information in it as the actual course module on the website (BE CAREFUL: there were a few bits that were different and one sentence that was imperative for passing one of the modules that wasn't in the PDF!)

💡 Errors in Documentation – I found some in the course materials; if something seems off, ask the OriGym tutors, it might not just be you!

FINALLY!

Taking this course was a huge learning curve, but also an exciting step in growing as a Personal Trainer. If you’re considering OriGym, be prepared for a structured but flexible experience that demands focus, self-motivation, and a bit of creative problem-solving.

If you go in with the right mindset, it’s absolutely doable and worth it!